The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 306
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 306.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes had turned transparent as she absorbed every word of the story.
The Bu Chanyang that Murim history remembered was a slaughterer who mercilessly cut down countless masters regardless of their sect affiliation,
and an ultimate Demonic Path Grand Master whose mastery of the blade arts had reached the pinnacle of the Sword Way.
Yet in reality, he was not a slaughterer at all, but rather a blade wanderer steeped in emptiness?
‘This is confusing.’
Chil Ji Ma Do was said to use the Heavenly Axis Flowing Family Technique and the secret arts of Saixiang.
And her grandfather had lost his life to someone who wielded the Heavenly Axis Flowing Family Technique and the secret arts of Saixiang.
Because of this, Bu Eunseol had believed the two men were different people who merely shared the same name, and harbored enmity toward each other.
But now, hearing this account, Bu Chanyang was not the sort of man who would kill her grandfather unless they were sworn enemies of irreconcilable hatred.
In fact, the probability that they were the same person was far higher.
‘Chil Ji Ma Do… was grandfather.’
There was no concrete evidence.
Yet having heard Jong Ri Sa Hyeon’s entire account, Bu Eunseol could sense with sudden clarity that Chil Ji Ma Do was her grandfather Bu Chanyang.
On the surface bearing the face of a cruel Demonic Path practitioner, yet in reality possessing calm prayer and hollow eyes…
The incomparable blade master of the Demonic Path who had subdued the once-invincible Chim Wang in merely nine moves.
She had intuited that this Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang was her grandfather.
‘But….’
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
This matter could not be confirmed by intuition alone. No, it must not be.
The Chil Ji Ma Do known to the world was not only a man of cruel disposition, but a great slaughterer who had killed countless masters of the Orthodox Sects.
Yet it turned out he was a disciple of Shaolin and the Deputy Lord of the Demon Palace?
Even if she were to concede a hundred times that this was true, only one question remained: ‘Why?’
Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
He was a man who had achieved every glory a martial artist could attain. So why was he walking this hidden path, concealing himself from the world’s eyes?
‘Could it be that Ma Cheon Je knew all of this?’
What if Ma Cheon Je, who had met with her in private before the coronation ceremony, had told her this very story?
Bu Eunseol would never have believed it.
‘That’s why he told me to investigate it myself….’
Ma Cheon Je had told her not to seek truth through the words of others.
Was that something he said because he knew everything? Or was it simply him sharing the fundamental truths of Murim?
Ma Cheon Je. What exactly was he thinking?
‘I don’t know. Any of it.’
Nausea threatened to rise within her.
What was certain was that her grandfather was no ordinary member of Yeomsa, but a true martial artist of Murim.
To achieve revenge, she would have to unearth not only the traces her grandfather had left behind, but also all the tangled debts and grudges connected to him.
‘That doesn’t matter.’
She had already resolved to cut down not only her grandfather’s killer, but all those involved in his death.
According to the clues Chim Wang had provided, there had been an undisclosed conflict between Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang, the White Horse Sect, and the Saryeong School.
And since her grandfather Bu Chanyang had learned the Reverse Muscle Scripture, it was certain he was a disciple of Shaolin.
Then there were only two options.
Either investigate the White Horse Sect and the Saryeong School, or spend time investigating Shaolin—there was no other way.
‘I’ll handle them in order.’
Bu Eunseol made her decision.
She would investigate the White Horse Sect and the Saryeong School first.
Now that she had become the successor to the Demon Hall, she needed to make those two sects support her as well.
If she didn’t secure support from more than half, they could strike at her from behind at any moment.
—The position of successor was indeed perilous.
Ma Cheon Je had told Bu Eunseol this at the coronation ceremony.
And it wasn’t merely idle talk. If, as the official successor, she didn’t possess the strength and authority befitting that position—
A blade could come flying at her back at any time.
“Thank you.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together after organizing her thoughts.
“You’ve been of great help.”
It was no mere courtesy.
Thanks to Jong Ri Sa Hyeon, I had learned for the first time about Chil Ji Ma Do’s true nature, something unknown throughout the Murim.
“I’m glad it was useful.”
Jong Ri Sa Hyeon smiled benevolently and spoke.
“I’ve prepared a comfortable place for you to rest. Do take your ease before you depart.”
“No, I’m afraid not. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I must take my leave.”
“On a night like this?”
Bu Eunseol smiled and clasped her hands together.
“The faster I move, the sooner the Gangho will find stability, will it not?”
This was a greeting often used by the righteous sects’ luminaries, and occasionally imitated by those of the demonic path.
“Hehehehe.”
Jong Ri Sa Hyeon chuckled and nodded his head.
“I had originally thought to ease Shaolin’s debt of gratitude by bestowing the Harmonious Golden Needle Technique upon you. But seeing your cultivation, that was merely a foolish notion.”
Then, gazing at Bu Eunseol, he spoke with satisfaction.
“In all my years, only two young people have caught my eye: the sect leader’s youngest disciple and the senior disciple known as Cheon Geom.”
Jeong Cheon Je had five disciples, with an age gap of more than twenty years between the eldest and youngest.
The youngest disciple’s swordsmanship was said to be at a level that would astound heaven and earth, with martial prowess approaching that of the Four Gods Seven Kings.
Cheon Geom, who had inherited all of the Sword Sage’s sword refinement, was rumored to be the second Sword Sage in terms of ability.
One was a disciple of Jeong Cheon Je, and the other a disciple of the Three Sages.
Because their status was so exalted, they were said to be conducting their Murim activities in secrecy, concealing their whereabouts.
‘So they too have broken through the transcendent realm.’
Jong Ri Sa Hyeon must have gauged the level of Bu Eunseol’s internal energy from their internal energy confrontation.
Yet to compare those two with himself—
It indirectly suggested that they too had broken through the transcendent realm.
“But among them, you seem to be distinctly the most outstanding.”
Jong Ri Sa Hyeon’s gaze was now like that of someone looking at a beloved son-in-law.
“Complete your business here shortly, then return to the Main House.”
He placed a gentle hand on Bu Eunseol’s shoulder, his face suffused with a benevolent smile.
“Since a dragon among men like yourself has emerged, I must put an end to Sa Yu’s perilous wanderings through the Gangho.”
If I remained silent, my nose would be pinched right off while sitting here.
Bu Eunseol rose hastily and clasped her hands together.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Retracing my steps back out of the Manor, I found myself on a path lined with plum blossoms in full, resplendent bloom.
There, a beautiful woman in white palace robes with her hair pinned up stood gazing at me.
It was Jong Ri Sa Yu.
“Are you departing now?”
“I am.”
“Have you finished speaking with Grandfather?”
“I have.”
After this brief exchange, silence stretched between us.
Jong Ri Sa Yu gazed up at the distant moonlit sky, then turned to me with flushed cheeks and spoke.
“I will wait for you.”
Her gaze bore an uncanny resemblance to the eyes with which Yeon So Ha had once looked upon me at Shin Nyeo Gung.
A chill ran down my spine, and I shook my head.
“Do not wait for me.”
“What?”
“I must undertake perilous tasks ahead where I cannot guarantee my own survival. And in all likelihood, such endeavors will end poorly.”
It was a gentle refusal, yet also words spoken with genuine sincerity.
Yet Jong Ri Sa Yu merely smiled and stepped closer.
Her slender, large eyes, reflected in the moonlight, seemed to gather all the beautiful luminescence of the world within them.
I fixed my gaze upon her face with a tense expression.
She closed her eyes and pursed her pale pink lips slightly—she was inviting a kiss.
But I drew a deep breath and clasped my hands together.
“Then I shall go.”
Jong Ri Sa Yu opened her eyes and let out a soft laugh.
Though a touch of disappointment lingered, I found her appreciation for my dignified demeanor equally endearing.
“You must return. If you don’t, I’ll come find you at Shaolin.”
Jong Ri Sa Yu whispered this sweet threat, her face flushed crimson.
“Take care of yourself until we meet again.”
Then she turned and hurried back into the Manor.
Feeling a chill race down my spine, I swiftly departed the Manor.
At least I had the fortune of not revealing my true identity, having used the name Baek Mu Sung instead…
Yet I could not foresee what ripples this deception might cause in the future.
* * *
Having left Chim Province, Bu Eunseol immediately unleashed her lightness technique and rushed toward the Demon Palace.
The Saryeong School and the White Horse Sect.
According to Jong Ri Sa Hyeon, they had inflicted a mortal wound upon the young Chil Ji Ma Do forty years ago.
Of course, at that time he had not yet risen to the position of Vice Lord of the Demon Palace, but how could such a fact remain completely unknown throughout the Murim?
This could only mean that the two sects had kept their attack on Chil Ji Ma Do a secret.
Bu Eunseol resolved to uncover the reason behind this concealment.
‘There must be an intentional reason they hid this.’
At that time, Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang was merely a ruthless killer of extraordinary brutality.
He had no conflict or connection whatsoever with the Ten Demonic Gates.
Yet it was Jong Ri Sa Hyeon who revealed that the White Horse Sect and the Saryeong School had clashed with Chil Ji Ma Do.
If she were the Bu Eunseol of the past, she would have struggled to determine how to investigate the White Horse Sect and the Saryeong School.
But now, as the successor of the Demon Palace and the Lord of Muhonjung, she possessed ample authority to conduct such an investigation.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Bu Eunseol’s silhouette tore through the sky as she traversed mountains and fields, her form rendered invisible by her extreme speed.
—Gahhh!
A faint, agonized scream reached Bu Eunseol’s ears as she shot forward at tremendous velocity.
It was the sound of a life being snuffed out—brief, yet saturated with despair.
Whoever it was clearly died in the throes of unimaginable suffering.
—Gahhh, gahhh!
The screams echoed not once, but repeatedly.
Given the brief intervals between each cry, it was evident that a massive number of people were being slaughtered in a horrific manner.
‘That region is… Nang Rim Mountain.’
Bu Eunseol halted her technique momentarily and surveyed the surrounding area.
The screams originated from deep within the distant Nang Rim Mountain’s interior.
When large numbers of people gathered in such a place, there could be only one explanation.
‘Bandits… Heuk Pung Chae, perhaps.’
This Nang Rim Mountain harbored a bandit stronghold of such depravity that it scarcely deserved the name of a righteous outlaw haven.
Heuk Pung Chae.
According to rumor, it was a lair where retired or crippled assassins gathered.
And true to such accounts, their methods were ruthless and meticulous, their nature so savage and greedy that…
They preyed indiscriminately upon passing merchant caravans and innocent civilians alike.
Enraged Orthodox Sect factions in the vicinity had attempted to suppress Heuk Pung Chae multiple times, but the terrain of Nang Rim Mountain was treacherously rugged.
Moreover, exploiting their advantage as assassins, they had installed vicious traps along the paths leading to the stronghold.
They had constructed false hideouts throughout the area and laid elaborate snares.
As a result, the factions attempting suppression suffered grievous losses and failed repeatedly.
‘Yet something seems amiss.’
If masters from the Orthodox Sects were participating in large numbers to annihilate the stronghold, the screams should come all at once.
But the cries that reached her ears sounded as though they were being executed in orderly succession, did they not?
‘Hmm.’
In the past, I would have paid no attention whatsoever to such matters.
But now, as the successor to the Demon Palace, I must carefully observe and assess the movements of not only the Demonic Path, but also the Orthodox Sects and other dark forces throughout the Murim.
The situation demanded her constant vigilance and discernment.
Whoosh!
Bu Eunseol immediately spun around and rushed swiftly toward the source of the screams that pierced the air.
As she moved, the faint cries that had been echoing gradually faded, until they ceased entirely.
Yet Bu Eunseol’s keen senses allowed her to pinpoint the origin of the sound instantly.
As she passed through the Deep Forest of Nang Rim Mountain and arrived at an open ravine, she found numerous fortified mountain strongholds scattered throughout the area.
Tap.
Landing on the ground and surveying her surroundings, Bu Eunseol let out a sharp breath.
The sight before her was nothing short of a massacre.
Roughly five hundred bandits and their families lay strewn about as mangled corpses.
“A great sword was used.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as she examined the wounds on the bodies.
The fatal wounds were concentrated in the center of the chest—deep gashes made by an abnormally large blade, roughly the width of an adult’s forearm.
Yet the wounds bore another distinctive characteristic.
They had been inflicted to maximize suffering before death, deliberately avoiding vital pressure points that would cause instant death.
“A pleasure killer.”
The technique of the blade reveals the will of its wielder.
Had this been driven by bitter resentment, the wounds would not have been so clean and precise.
Yet despite the great sword severing the spine and ribs, the killer had deliberately avoided the vital acupoints that would grant instant death.
This meant the bandits had been slain with absolute coldness and composure.
“And by a single person.”
Every corpse bore the same massive chest wound, executed with flawless precision.
This was not the work of a large force annihilating Heuk Pung Chae—it was the handiwork of a single master of terrifying skill.
“…!”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s pupils dilated as she examined the bodies.
Only then did she sense that someone had appeared behind her.
‘Remarkable.’
Her heightened perception extended roughly a hundred paces in all directions.
Yet despite her focus on examining the corpses, she had failed to detect the presence of someone approaching so close?
Bu Eunseol slowly turned her body.
There, in the darkness untouched by moonlight, stood the silhouette of a man.
He stood well over seven feet tall, with the shoulders and back of a bear and the waist of a tiger, wielding a great sword weighing over a hundred pounds as effortlessly as chopsticks.
He was not channeling inner energy—he was drawing upon innate, natural divine strength.
Whoosh.
The shadow glided forward and revealed itself beneath the moonlight.
In that instant, a flicker of intrigue crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Despite his massive, mountain-like frame, his features were upright and benevolent, and a guileless smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Yet his eyes were unusually large, and their gaze gleamed with unsettling brilliance, revealing a subtle hint of madness.
“Huh? I thought I killed them all?”
As the man stepped closer, an invisible force spread out like a spider’s web, binding Bu Eunseol’s body in place.
‘So that’s how it was.’
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand how hundreds of bandits from Heuk Pung Chae had fallen to a single person.
Using that strange invisible force, he had rendered the Heuk Pung Chae bandits immobilized and helpless, eliminating them one by one.
“Remarkable.”
Bu Eunseol let out a gasp of admiration aloud.
Throughout her entire life, among those of Do’s age and in the later stages of mastery, she had never encountered anyone with skills comparable to her own.
Yet the man before her displayed such astounding martial prowess that he could approach her while she had entered the Extreme Heaven Realm, deceiving her perception.
Where on earth had such a master emerged from?
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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